By Daniel Paiz

Been recently encountering friends and homies a bit more as national poetry writing month approaches its end. It has been fun but also foreign in some ways, largely due to the pandemic. It feels like socializing is something a lot of us are out of practice in when it comes to in real life stuff.

That’s certainly true for me lately. That led me to think about the bonds I currently have and have had. For whatever reason, it’s led to thinking about those connections, ideally with no shipwrecks.

No Shipwrecks

Lot of you struggle

because your ship of friends is lost in the fog,

navigating on outdated maps that will either

safely guide them through the mist or

crash land without an escape plan.

Nothing is certain,

because everything forward is uncharted.

Thwarted are some efforts,

to reconnect with old crew,

only because at a certain age it seems,

some have placed themselves on deserted islands,

without a sail or log to stay afloat to.

It’s understandable,

change is never comfortable,

for if it were,

you and I and everyone we know would be

much more dynamic people than we currently are.

The choppy waters that sink and rise

surprise those who have been adrift,

while the leagues below have been bubbling,

even overturning those snoozing about nondescript.

It’s hard to blame some of those who,

watch former shipwrecked friends,

become captains of vessels they never saw them on before,

or steer the commissioned wood and rope

to the tuned zooms and doldrums of wind, quiet and blown.

While peering at such success,

through the lens of a mini telescope,

the shores might’ve lambasted one’s hopes,

and delayed that same person’s journey,

to the desired destination of success or at the least, a little growth.

Don’t walk the plank despite the options,

the Locker is no way to go,

especially when the potential isn’t realized,

simply because your oar broke,

and you haven’t wanted to makeshift

a replacement,

one that will help embattle whatever might be the undertow.